Strictly From Nowhere: A Podcast Experiment by Cause of a Kind

Competition doesn't exist at the small business level. Not really.Justin reflects on his years as a competitive overlay specialist at BrightEdge, where he parachuted into deals to defend against competitors and win new logos for enterprise SaaS. He knew every competitor's product, roadmap, and weakness.But running a small agency? Completely different.The big leagues have competition. AWS vs Azure vs GCP. Entire teams positioned for competitive overlays. Strategic defense. Retention plays.Small business? You're either the right fit based on emotion, vibe, and values, or you're not. And the people doing similar work aren't competitors. They're strategic partners.We should be leveraging each other's networks. Sharing stages. Co-authoring content. Joining podcasts. Growing together.Customer success isn't about parachuting in at the last minute to save a deal. It's the work that happens every single day. The pursuit of mastery. The energy. The vibe. The alignment of values.Topics covered:Competitive overlay roles in enterprise SaaSWhy competition doesn't exist at small business levelStrategic allies vs competitors in agency worldCustomer excellence happens every day, not at the 11th hourWhy customers choose you based on vibe and valuesLeveraging networks and growing togetherBig league competition vs small business alignmentIf you're building a business or running an agency, this episode reframes the entire conversation.Competition is for the big leagues. For the rest of us, it's about strategic allies and shared growth.────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/────────────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/────────────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────────Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Againhttps://www.finforecasting.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fin-forecasting────────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.

We hit 110K subscribers. Nothing changed.Justin and Mike discuss what happened after crossing 100K (spoiler: nothing), why more features doesn't equal success, and the vibe coding tech debt crisis.The problem isn't how fast you can code. It's that you don't have any good ideas.We discuss why discipline matters in the AI era, how vibe coding is like vibe home repair (works until catastrophic failure), and why Amazon banned juniors from deploying without code review after AI-generated outages.AI removes the friction that used to force us to think carefully. That friction was valuable.Topics covered:Richard Feldman: productivity up, quality downWhy more features doesn't accelerate product-market fitEngineers don't know their own code anymoreAlibaba's report: vibe coding creates tech debtAmazon bans junior AI code deploys without reviewIrina Nazarova's Layer Design book for code qualityWill Sentance on loss of craft in AI developmentWhy experimentation speed doesn't bring success closerService businesses helping companies integrate AIThe feature factory trap without product-market fitIf you're building with AI, managing teams, or wondering why shipping faster isn't making you richer, this is required listening.More isn't more. Discipline still matters. Don't vibe your code base.────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/────────────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/────────────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────────Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Againhttps://www.finforecasting.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fin-forecasting────────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.

The rules of software engineering just changed. What does that mean for everyone trying to break in — or stay relevant?In this episode of CTO Confidential, I sit down with Will Sentence — founder of Codesmith, fellow at Oxford, instructor at Frontend Masters, and the person whose JavaScript: The Hard Parts course genuinely changed the trajectory of my career. We get into the real conversations happening in engineering right now: the job market, the value of tacit knowledge, what AI actually changes (and what it doesn't), and where the next generation of builders is going to find their footing.This one goes deep.In this episode:- Why "learn to teach it" is still the most powerful way to truly understand anything- The gap between engineers who can wield AI tools and those who get burned by them — and what separates the two- Why embodied AI and robotics may be where the next 10 million engineers build their careers- The US Treasury's $118M modernization contract and what government work looks like in the AI era- The broken job market: why 100 applications and no callbacks isn't your fault — and what to do instead- Forward deployed engineering as the rising job title of our moment- What interviews will look like as companies figure out what they're even hiring for- The workforce development problem nobody in power is actually solving yetFollow Will:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willsentance/X: https://x.com/willsentanceCodesmith: https://www.codesmith.io/Frontend Masters: https://frontendmasters.com/Recommendations:AI Engineering by Chip Nguyen: https://a.co/d/0gfV0OCf────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/──────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/───────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Againhttps://www.finforecasting.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fin-forecasting────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.

I just hit 100,000 subscribers.Nine years. Over 200 episodes. Hundreds of hours. And I recorded the exact moment it happened.I was in Mexico with my family. Refreshing the screen. Watching the number tick up. 99,997. 99,998. 99,999.And then it hit.100K.Here's what I thought about in that moment. This took everything. I worked my ass off for this. Nothing came easy. Nothing was handed to me. I don't have privilege. I don't have status. I don't have an unfair advantage.I just put in the time. I put in the work. I earned it.It took three years to convince Michael to join me on an episode. He wanted proof this was worth it. Now he records with me every single day.That 100K number? It feels like validation. Like permission. Like a small army in the room that's interested in what we create. Like the universe saying, alright, you may have what it takes to hold the conversation here.Steven Bartlett says 60-70% of all viewers aren't even subscribed. So to me, 100K isn't the finish line. It's just the beginning.What started as a way to add value to my customers and hold longer conversations turned into five different podcasts with five different missions under one vision.And I don't know what happens from here. But I think the universe starts to give you opportunity when you prove you can hold the space.But here's the truth. My kid doesn't care. My wife doesn't care. They just care that I'm present. That I'm having fun. That their dad is here and around.The milestone matters because it creates livelihood. Because it impacts people. Because sharing vulnerabilities in public hopefully helps someone else navigate their journey.But the real success? Being fully present with the people who matter most.So this is permission to begin. For anyone grinding. For anyone who's been told to prove it first. For anyone who's put in hundreds of hours wondering if it's worth it.You earned it. Keep going. This is just the beginning.Forward to extraordinary.

Justin's first solo episode. From Mexico.Part one: The levels of customer service—support, client services, success, excellence. Customer excellence means showing up with "it's a pleasure" no matter what. Because everyone is always either buying or selling something.Part two: Mike told Justin to stop recording episodes he never publishes. Just ship it. The people who love you will support you. The people who don't don't matter.Topics covered:The evolution from customer service to customer excellenceWhy "it's a pleasure" is more than just wordsBeing a trusted advisor vs providing serviceEveryone is always buying or sellingWhy you should ship instead of letting fear hold you backFinding invincibility in the love around youShip it. Say it's a pleasure. Mean it.────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT: http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereWEBSITE: https://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/X: https://x.com/cuzzinjustinWebsite: https://www.cuzzinjustin.comMIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Website: https://michaelrispoli.com/CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsite: https://www.causeofakind.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindNewsletter: http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj────────────────────────────────COMMUNITYLong Island Technologists: https://www.longislandtechnologists.comFin Forecasting: https://www.finforecasting.com────────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindSoftware development and startup studio from Long Island, NYStand up. Show up. Build.

The Replit CEO said not having coding experience is becoming an advantage.I could not disagree more.In this solo episode of The Standup, Mike breaks down why the idea that "ignorance is an advantage" in the age of AI is dangerous, who it actually benefits, and why knowing the technical details makes you more powerful, not less.We discuss why coders don't get lost in the details—product people do. Why junior developers struggle with perfectionism before becoming senior pragmatists. And why the debugging and deployment phase is still 80% of the work, even when AI writes the code.This isn't about gatekeeping. It's about understanding that AI doesn't eliminate the need for expertise. It amplifies it. The companies telling you that you don't need technical knowledge are the same ones betting you'll get vendor locked when your app succeeds.Topics covered:Why the Replit CEO's statement is wrong (and who it benefits)Coders vs product people: who actually gets lost in the detailsThe junior to senior developer curve and why it mattersWhy UX designers who can't code waste millions building the wrong thingsThe debugging bottleneck: getting to 90% is easy, the last 10% is 80% of the workVendor lock-in and why platforms want you to stay ignorantHow to price work when demand is low vs highWhy doing free work beats underpricing yourselfIf you're building products with AI, transitioning from junior to senior engineer, or trying to understand where the real work still lives, this episode is for you.It's never better to be more ignorant. Read everything. Know more. Build better.────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/────────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/────────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Againhttps://www.finforecasting.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fin-forecasting────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.

We shipped Uncal. Open sourced the code. And didn't tell anyone it wasn't ready yet.In this episode of The Standup, Justin and Mike break down the experiment they ran to test market demand before building a full SaaS product. How a simple landing page tweak turned crickets into signups. Why geo-targeting matters. And what they learned about converting interest into paying customers.This is a masterclass in validating ideas before burning months building features nobody wants. We discuss why patents are dead, why ideas are worth nothing and execution is everything, and how personal brand compounds over time to give you distribution when you need it most.Topics covered:The Uncal experiment: testing demand before building the SaaSWhy honesty on landing pages kills conversions (and what works instead)How changing "verify your interest" to "sign up now" changed everythingWhy people still want the SaaS even though the code is open sourceThe open SaaS model: giving away the code, charging for the hosted versionPatents are dead—execution is the only thing that's defensibleBuilding personal brand over 9 years and why it matters for distributionGeo-targeting strategy: US vs Asia vs Latin America for paying customersLead gen companies and podcast booking services as ideal customersWhat's next for Uncal: multi-calendar support, Outlook integration, and moreIf you're launching a product, testing market fit, or trying to figure out how to validate ideas without wasting months, this episode shows you the playbook.Ideas are worth nothing. Execution is everything. Test before you build.────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/────────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/────────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────────Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Againhttps://www.finforecasting.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fin-forecasting────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.

Irina Nazarova runs Evil Martians, one of the most respected Ruby on Rails agencies in the world.In this episode of CTO Confidential, Mike and Irina discuss her journey from C++ engineer to CEO, why Rails is experiencing a renaissance with AI, and how Evil Martians monetizes open source projects like AnyCable while running a successful consultancy.Topics covered:Why imposter syndrome affects almost everyone in techThe Rails renaissance driven by AI and agentic codingDynamic languages vs typed languages for fast experimentationHow AnyCable monetizes open source infrastructurePositioning agencies around customer verticals, not tech stacksWhy durable streams and WebSockets matter for real-time appsHow StackBlitz became Bolt.new using web containersBuilding sustainable businesses around open sourceIf you're a CTO, agency owner, or engineer trying to understand how to build sustainable businesses around open source, this conversation gives you the blueprint.Build with Rails. Build with agentic coding. Be more ambitious.https://evilmartians.com/https://anycable.io/https://sfruby.com/https://imgproxy.net/────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/────────────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/────────────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────────Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Againhttps://www.finforecasting.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fin-forecasting────────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.

Will Ruben spent nearly a decade at Meta building AI products for billions of users. Then he left to build something for everyone: an AI executive assistant.He is the Founder and CEO of Workmate, the AI Scheduling Assistant who saves you hours and misses nothing. Previously a Product Director at Instagram, Meta, and Coinbase.In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, Will shares his journey from leading teams at Meta on Instagram Reels and content recommendations to founding Workmate, a platform that democratizes access to executive assistants through AI.Topics covered:Will's journey at Meta building Instagram Reels and AI-powered content recommendationsThe traits of entrepreneurs inside large organizationsWhy Workmate exists: democratizing executive assistants like Uber democratized chauffeursHow AI handles scheduling, calendar management, and reduces administrative overheadThe future of agentic collaboration and AI teammates at workWhy distribution and conversion are harder than product developmentBuilding personal brand as a long-term compounding strategyThe difference between getting attention and converting customersWhy being a builder is the most important entrepreneurial traitWebsite: https://www.workmate.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workmatelabsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/getaworkmateX: https://x.com/workmateYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@getaworkmateTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@getaworkmateWill RubenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wrubenX: https://x.com/willruben────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/────────────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/────────────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────────Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Againhttps://www.finforecasting.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fin-forecasting────────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.

Building a CMS isn't a one-shot deal. And that's the point.In episode 2 of SaaS Killers, Mike and Justin move from wishlist to execution plan. We break down how to actually build something complex without falling into waterfall hell or letting AI agents run wild overnight.The big decision? Static rendering with MarkDoc versus dynamic content with Turbo Frames. Both have trade-offs. One is lightning fast but rigid. The other is flexible but slightly slower. And with AI making the cost of code essentially zero, we can actually try both and see what works best in practice.This episode is about making smart decisions early. Choosing Turbo Frames over custom syntax to keep things simple. Using SQLite for speed without distributed database overhead. Skipping the fancy Markdown editor for now because a text area proves the model just fine. And most importantly, following the principle: make it work, make it right, make it fast.Topics covered:MarkDoc versus Turbo Frames for dynamic content injectionStatic versus dynamic websites and the trade-offs marketers actually care aboutWhy SQLite is lightning fast for CMS applicationsSimplifying phase one to focus on core content modelingHow to prevent abstraction leaks from reaching end usersThe principle of make it work, make it right, make it fastChoosing tools that come out of the box over custom solutionsIf you're building a CMS, a content platform, or any complex product with AI assistance, this episode shows how to plan smart, build incrementally, and avoid over-engineering before you understand the problem.Simplify. Execute. Iterate.───────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com───────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com───────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/───────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627───────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/───────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/───────────────────────────Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Againhttps://www.finforecasting.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fin-forecasting───────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.